The present invention relates to artillery and firearms, and more particularly, to a gyroscopically steerable bullet.
Many self-propelled missiles have been developed which have on-board homing sensors or remote guidance capability. Such missiles are capable of midcourse trajectory shaping. Therefore, the accuracy of such missiles in hitting their targets is much greater than if they were simply aimed and fired, without any in-flight guidance.
Conventional bullets, such as 5-inch, 8-inch, 105 mm, and 152 mm artillery projectiles are not guided during flight. In some instances, the barrels from which conventional bullets are fired may be aimed by radar equipped tracking devices. Conventional bullets are frequently spun when launched to provide stability during flight and thereby improve accuracy.
It would be desirable to improve the accuracy of bullets by providing the capability for midcourse trajectory shaping. Preferably such steerable bullets would be relatively inexpensive and would retain a high degree of reliability.